Donna Tartt

Richard Papen had never been to New England before his nineteenth year. Then he arrived at Hampden College and quickly became seduced by the sweet, dark rhythms of campus life – in particular by an elite group of five students, Greek scholars, worldly, self-assured, and at first glance, highly unapproachable.

The Secret History 

L. J.

‘Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it. And what could be more terrifying and beautiful, to souls like the Greeks or our own, than to lose control completely? To throw off the chains of being for an instant, to shatter the accident of our mortal selves? Euripides speaks of the Maenads: head thrown back, throat to the stars, “more like deer than human being.” To be absolutely free! One is quite capable, of course, of working out these destructive passions in more vulgar and less efficient ways. But how glorious to release them in a single burst! To sing, to scream, to dance barefoot in the woods in the dead of the night, with no more awareness of mortality than an animal! These are the powerful mysteries. The bellowing of bulls. Springs of honey bubbling from the ground. If we are strong enough in our souls we can rip away the veil and look at that naked, terrible beauty right in the face; let God consume us, devour us, unstring our bones. Then spit us out reborn.’ […] ‘And that, to me, is the terrible seduction of Dionysiac ritual. Hard for us to imagine. That fire of pure being.’

‘We don't like to admit it,' said Julian, 'but the idea of losing control is one that fascinates controlled people such as ourselves more than almost anything. All truly civilized people - the ancients no less than us - have civilized themselves through the willful repression of the old, animal self. Are we, in this room, really very different from the Greeks or the Romans? Obsessed with duty, piety, loyalty, sacrifice? All those things which are to modern tastes so chiling?'

‘And if beauty is terror,' said Julian, 'then what is desire? We think we have many desires, but in fact we have only one. What is it? 

ana sta si ja☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Does such a thing as 'the fatal flaw,' that showy dark crack running down the middle of a life, exist outside literature? I used to think it didn't. Now I think it does. And I think that mine is this: a morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs.

Aina

‘Death is the mother of beauty,’ said Henry.

‘Well said,' said Julian. 'Beauty is rarely soft or consolatory. Quite the contrary. Genuine beauty is always quite alarming.’

Even more terrible, as we grow older, to learn that no person, no matter how beloved, can ever truly understand us. Our own selves make us most unhappy, and that's why we’re so anxious to lose them, don't you think?

lemon

“Take my word for it. But one mustn’t underestimate the primal appeal—to lose one’s self, lose it utterly. And in losing it be born to the principle of continuous life, outside the prison of mortality and time…”

Isabelle

Being the only female in what was basically a boys club must have been difficult for her. Miraculously, she didn't compensate by becoming hard or quarrelsome. She was still a girl, a slight lovely girl who lay in bed and eat chocolates, a girl whose hair smelled like hyacinth and whose scarves fluttered jauntily in the breeze. 

She was the Queen who finished out the suit of dark Jacks, dark King, and Joker. 

Dormir plutôt que vivre dans un sommeil aussi doux que la mort. 

“…Beauty is terror. We want to be devoured by it, to hide ourselves in that fire which refines us.”

The mind is its own place and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell and so forth. 

'Because it's dangerous to ignore the existence of the irrational. The more cultivated a person is, the more intelligent, the more repressed, then the more he needs some method of channeling the primitive impulses he's worked so hard to subdue.' 

'Death is the mother of beauty,' said Henry. 

'Well said,' said Julian. 'Beauty is rarely soft or consolatory. Quite the contrary. Genuine beauty is always quite alarming.' 

'If by romantic you mean solitary and introspective,' I said, 'I think romantics are frequently the best classicist.' 

He regarded me with chill distaste. 'I love Homer,' he said. 

Does such a thing as 'the fatal flaw', that showy dark crack running down the middle of a life, exist outside literature? I used to think it didn't. Now I think it does. And I think that mine is this: a morbid longing of the picturesque at all costs. 

Syrina Akbari

And how did they drive people mad? They turned up the volume of the inner monologue, magnified qualities already present to great access, made people so much themselves that they couldn’t stand it.

Shriyah 

It was shocking to hear him speak of her with such intimacy. Pluto and Persephone.

Truly deserving of the accolade Modern Classic, Donna Tartt's cult bestseller The Secret History is a remarkable achievement - both compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful.'A haunting, compelling and brilliant piece of fiction' The Times'So irresistible and seductive it's almost a guilty pleasure' GuardianUnder the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and for ever.'Enthralling . . . image the plot of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment crossed with the story of Euripides' Bacchae set against the backdrop of Bret Easton Ellis's The Rules of Attraction . . . forceful, cerebral and impeccably controlled . . . ferociously well-paced . . . remarkably powerful' The New York Times'Donna Tartt is an amazingly good writer. She's dense, she's allusive. She's a gorgeous storyteller' Stephen KingDonna Tartt was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, and is a graduate of Bennington College. She is the author of the novels The Secret History and The Little Friend, which have been translated into thirty languages, and The Goldfinch.

The Secret History

There is nothing wrong with the love of Beauty. But Beauty – unless she is wed to something more meaningful – is always superficial.

💌

Any action, in the fullness of time, sinks to nothingness

Beauty is terror. We want to be devoured by it, to hide ourselves in that fire which refines us.

“Beauty is rarely soft or consolatory. Quite the contrary. Genuine beauty is always quite alarming.”

Paige Leitner

Henry smoothed the crumpled map against the table with the flat of his palm. "There, you're wrong," he said. "If we attempt to order events too meticulously, to arrive at point X via a logical trail, it follows that the logical trail can be picked up at point X and followed back to us. Reason is always apparent to a discerning eye. But luck? It's invisible, erratic, angelic. What could possibly be better, from our point of view, than allowing Bunny to choose the circumstances of his own death?"

I really wanted to read this by relating on a personal level but failed because what the fuck

While Donna Tartt has an impeccable style of writing, I personally don't think the book is as good as some people make it out to be. 

Yes, The Secret History has some beautiful psychological layers, well thought out characters, and a special sort of tension in the story, but I think some parts were unnecessarily prosy which made it a much less enjoyable read for me than I had originally expected. 

While Donna Tartt has an impeccable style of writing, I personally don't think the book is as good as some people make it out to be. 

Yes, The Secret History has some beautiful psychological layers, well thought out characters, and a special sort of tension in the story, but I think some parts were unnecessarily prosy which made it a much less enjoyable read for me than I had originally expected. 



read this about three years ago and have literally not touched it since then in hopes my memory will cleanse the last trace of this so i can experience it freshly all over again, but i've scarcely been able to forget anything about it. scratched into my brain forever and ever. great novel for readers who want to start reading literary fiction. 

carlota

Herd mentality depicted in a believable way. Just like Richard, I am left with so many unanswered questions about Henry.

Annie Millman

this would make suuuuuch a good TV show.

Herd mentality depicted in a believable way. Just like Richard, I am left with so many unanswered questions about Henry.

Overall - very entertaining. 

Donna Tartt, winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for her most recent novel, The Goldfinch, established herself as a major talent with The Secret History, which has become a contemporary classic. Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and forever, and they discover how hard it can be to truly live and how easy it is to kill.

Read this at a good friend’s recommendation and really enjoyed it. The characters are unlike anyone I’ve read before, but somehow still believable. Kinda makes me want to get into Greek classics..

Brynn Sklar

that was a god damn TRIP. would read again wow.

Cici Pearson

Jess Z

i feel bad giving this book a 4, because its so well written, like donna tart's prose is just so good. she does an amazing job setting the scene and bringing you into this world. and like if you just love writing, this book is amazing to read just because of her talent with words, and how she crafts a story. the first half of the book is also amazing, the set up into what happens i was like :o, even though i knew it was going to happen. i was just like damn these people are really that awful huh. 

this book is split up into two parts, and the second half can be a bit of a slog to read through at times, which is why i couldnt give it a 5. i would also be cautious recommending to friends because i can see how this might not be everyone's cup of tea. 

alice l

i feel bad giving this book a 4, because its so well written, like donna tart's prose is just so good. she does an amazing job setting the scene and bringing you into this world. and like if you just love writing, this book is amazing to read just because of her talent with words, and how she crafts a story. the first half of the book is also amazing, the set up into what happens i was like :o, even though i knew it was going to happen. i was just like damn these people are really that awful huh. 

this book is split up into two parts, and the second half can be a bit of a slog to read through at times, which is why i couldnt give it a 5. i would also be cautious recommending to friends because i can see how this might not be everyone's cup of tea. 

River 

This book has me walking in nature and contemplating my life choices

Smaug

About halfway through reading this digitally via the library, I went out and bought it in paperback, because I knew it would be joining my all-time list. 

Michael Klepacki

even though this kind of has a 200 page outro, wrapping up all the loose threads at about as slow a clip as you can imagine, every beat of it feels weighty and justified. such an unlikely page turner, genuinely one of the most intriguing character studies i’ve read.

Mitch McGonegal

i finished it. after almost a decade of my first read and almost a decade of intense dislike for this book i decided to give it another try because first of all, most of my friends wanted to eviscerate me for even mentioning a single bad word about this book and secondly, i grew up. i am not the same person i was at 15, i don't have the same taste (kinda... but shush) and i also don't think differently. so i figured i'd enjoy this more this time around, which i DID. do not get me wrong.

i did enjoy it a whole lot more this time than the first time around, however i still couldn't find myself to thoroughly like or even love it.

i chose to rate this three stars instead of the initial two because, as we say 

il faut laisser à césar ce qui appartient à césar

, the writing was absolutely divine. i was just flying through this book and found myself deeply immersed in donna tartt's words. 

i struggled with the characters though, i know this is the goal. i know they're not good people, i know francis is an unreliable narrator but i found them all to be absolutely insufferable. don't get me started on henry, i know he's a beloved favourite but i just couldn't. i had to roll my eyes everytime he popped up. he had his moments of course, they all did. i enjoyed them in some parts and absolutely loathed them in others, which i'm aware is a normal reaction to have.

but i wanted to like them! i wanted to get more attached to this book, i really tried! and at first i thought i would, but ultimately i didn't. i feel like it mostly fell flat. at least for me. but i tried to repent myself and i think i did! 

all in all, i somewhat understand the cult around this book, it's so well written and i understand it's a staple. it just wasn't for me.

florine

does such a thing as 'the fatal flaw,' that showy dark crack running down the middle of a life, exist outside literature? i used to think it didn't. now i think it does. and i think that mine is this: a morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs.


i finished it. after almost a decade of my first read and almost a decade of intense dislike for this book i decided to give it another try because first of all, most of my friends wanted to eviscerate me for even mentioning a single bad word about this book and secondly, i grew up. i am not the same person i was at 15, i don't have the same taste (kinda... but shush) and i also don't think differently. so i figured i'd enjoy this more this time around, which i DID. do not get me wrong.
i did enjoy it a whole lot more this time than the first time around, however i still couldn't find myself to thoroughly like or even love it.

i chose to rate this three stars instead of the initial two because, as we say il faut laisser à césar ce qui appartient à césar, the writing was absolutely divine. i was just flying through this book and found myself deeply immersed in donna tartt's words. 

i struggled with the characters though, i know this is the goal. i know they're not good people, i know francis is an unreliable narrator but i found them all to be absolutely insufferable. don't get me started on henry, i know he's a beloved favourite but i just couldn't. i had to roll my eyes everytime he popped up. he had his moments of course, they all did. i enjoyed them in some parts and absolutely loathed them in others, which i'm aware is a normal reaction to have.
but i wanted to like them! i wanted to get more attached to this book, i really tried! and at first i thought i would, but ultimately i didn't. i feel like it mostly fell flat. at least for me. but i tried to repent myself and i think i did! 

all in all, i somewhat understand the cult around this book, it's so well written and i understand it's a staple. it just wasn't for me.

Mia Hamilton

This was my second Tartt novel and I found I thoroughly enjoy her style of writing. While at times a bit overstrechted, I definitely get the hype around this book and will most likely read it again sometime to grasp it entirely 

Lili

jesus christ what a ride. now, i admit i started it pretty disinterested until somewhere around chapter 2, when the pace picked up and i couldn't, for the love of god, tear myself away from this book. i don't care if this is the title book of the booktok community, this book is every word worth the hype! and it's so well written too, it's hard not like it (writing style is something i've learnt not to take for granted when it comes to modern fiction).

i must say however, since many readers tend to be wired that way nowadays, that this isn't the book for you if you're looking for likeable characters. all of them were pretty messed up in their own way, which to be fair adds to its appeal.

jesus christ what a ride. now, i admit i started it pretty disinterested until somewhere around chapter 2, when the pace picked up and i couldn't, for the love of god, tear myself away from this book. i don't care if this is the title book of the booktok community, this book is every word worth the hype! and it's so well written too, it's hard not like it (writing style is something i've learnt not to take for granted when it comes to modern fiction).

i must say however, since many readers tend to be wired that way nowadays, that this isn't the book for you if you're looking for likeable characters. all of them were pretty messed up in their own way, which to be fair adds to its appeal.

Tajemna historia

Maja

Nie mam słów. Nigdy nie przestanę myśleć o tej książce. Arcydzieło

i literally dont know what i just read but i donot understand the hype ???? incest???? weird rich mfs???? people who literally gasped at parts of this book,,, did we read the same book? like it was so boring nothing horrific/shocking about it

Rocío de la Hera

La primera línea de este libro es muy conocida. “Does such a thing as ‘the fatal flaw’, that showy dark crack running down the middle of a life, exist ouside literature?” El narrador dice que sí y que la suya, la característica que siempre hace que se mande cagadas, es una búsqueda constante de lo pintoresco. Bueno, luego de leer la novela yo creo, Richie, que es el hecho de que ni vos ni tus amigos conocen el concepto de morfar algo. Toda la novela salteandose comidas, diciendo “es viernes, me di cuenta mientras olia el cafe que no habia comido nada desde el miercoles” Comé algo sólido, forro, por eso todos los quilombos que se armaron. Todo el tiempo en pedo y desnutridos.
Más allá de eso, totalmente inverosímil para mi estilo de vida y el de mis conocidos, ya entiendo porque dicen que es el original best seller. Realmente no podés parar de leer para ver qué van a hacer estos chetos desequilibrados.
Estuvo muy bien, lo que hizo que me gustara realmente fueron las constantes referencias a la mitología griega y al mundito literario. 
Digno.

a year and five months later and i’m finally finished. getting through this was quite tough, i put it off for a while because i struggled getting past the first hundred. i really wanted to get it over with this year, so i had the idea of listening to the audiobook while reading the physical copy. it gets better after a hundred, i promise!

we have flawed, problematic, sometimes annoying characters who might as well have given me an aneurysm and stroke. it was a rollercoaster to see how they justified their actions, how actual crimes were twisted and swept under the rug. you’re left analysing every detail presented despite the narrator being unreliable (well, i think he is). you’re left shocked with these revelations and decisions, baffled by some dialogue that feels like came out of nowhere, and impressed by their quick wit and version of humour.

i see why people like it and why some others dropped it. i almost did too, but who am i if not someone who sees things through the end because she already started it and has severe fomo?

all in all 3.5 stars. glad that’s out of my hair!

a year and five months later and i’m finally finished. getting through this was quite tough, i put it off for a while because i struggled getting past the first hundred. i really wanted to get it over with this year, so i had the idea of listening to the audiobook while reading the physical copy. it gets better after a hundred, i promise!

we have flawed, problematic, sometimes annoying characters who might as well have given me an aneurysm and stroke. it was a rollercoaster to see how they justified their actions, how actual crimes were twisted and swept under the rug. you’re left analysing every detail presented despite the narrator being unreliable (well, i think he is). you’re left shocked with these revelations and decisions, baffled by some dialogue that feels like came out of nowhere, and impressed by their quick wit and version of humour.

i see why people like it and why some others dropped it. i almost did too, but who am i if not someone who sees things through the end because she already started it and has severe fomo?

all in all 3.5 stars. glad that’s out of my hair!

Margaret

truly speechless, put off reading this for way too long and i’m so glad i finally did 

mallorie 🦌

Absolutely incredible. This book evoked so many different emotions from me. There were hardly any points where I was bored and the whole plot was intriguing throughout. I think the beauty is also that you get such a view into the minds of the characters, which, it was incredible to see the development in the minds of the characters as the story progresses. A modern classic for a reason.

The Secret History

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